“Well … that’s boring,” she said in a dismissive tone. (And this from someone who lives in a cul-de-sac.)

It wasn’t that I was offended because I have no particular loyalty one way or the other. But I know someone who does: my frequent traveling companion, who for the past 25 years has owned nothing but Honda Accords (and the really "boring" entry-level LX to boot, with the four-cylinder powerplant). Like many loyalists, her arguments for Accord ownership are both sound and accurate. From the get-go, the car embodied what many Americans sought in a family sedan: an immensely drivable product constructed with industry-setting quality materials — a steady Eddy that be counted on to crank up every morning for a minimum 150,000 miles without batting an eye. Not only do the wheels not fall off after five years, but the four-cylinder powerplant can be counted on for fuel efficiency (the V-6 a little less so) that long outlives the vagaries of oil prices.

In fact, for years it was the top-selling family sedan in the United States and typically the first model mentioned when the topic turned to what was the most reliable and affordable family sedan in the country. That was, until the Toyota Camry came along. But even though it’s ranking has slipped to No. 2, the sheer number of Honda Accords sold in 2010, for instance, is still almost mind-boggling: 290,056 units (as compared to 356,824 Toyota Camrys).

But something happened along the way. Americans, it seemed, began to take the Accord’s acclaimed reliability for granted while Honda took Americans’ loyalty for granted. Meantime, serious new competition from Korean upstarts like the Kia Optima and the Hyundai Sonata (the latter is ranked No. 3 in U.S. sedan sales) have given the Accord a run for its money. In fact, in terms of style, sporty design and quality of cabin materials, the Accord has become a lag behind.

And therein lies the chief complaint about the car. Compared to its rivals, the Accord’s once top-notch interior materials seem less than stellar except for those found in the top-of-the-line EX-L, my test car for the week, whose MSRP starts at $31,830. The center stack seems like an uninspired, boom box-like mishmosh of knobs and buttons while the center console and shifter look decidedly old school.

By now, Honda should have added an almost industry-standard clutchless manual mode — either steering wheel-mounted paddles or shifter knob — to the five-speed automatic transmission that is mated to the EX-L’s 3.5-liter V-6 (which churns out 271 horsepower and 269 pound-feet of torque).

But it hasn’t.

By now the rear should feature the nearly ubiquitous 60/40 split folding seats.

But it doesn’t.

No amount of faux wood trim on the dash can hide the fact that there just seems to be something, well, missing. And this despite the mid-cycle refresh given the Accord.

Has the Accord become mundane — or, worse yet, an example of bland on the run?

All of which nudges the EX-L almost into the realm of the Acura. But, remember, all of those bells and whistles are not available on every trim level and cannot be ordered as options. Honda tries to make up for the lack of options by offering the Accord in five trim levels — LX, LX-P, SE, EX and EX-L (the coupe comes in LX-S, EX and EX-L trims).

What this means, though, is that if you have your heart set on, say, the entry-level LX but want to add leather upholstery and a leather-wrapped steering wheel — sorry, Charlie, you have to upgrade to at least the SE trim. How about Bluetooth and satellite radio? Then you’d better set your sights on the EX-L trim.

Regardless of trim, though, all 2011 Accords bring to the table the automaker’s legendary reliability (even if you think reliability isn’t particularly “flash”), as well as sturdy handling, responsive steering and solid road manners under a variety of driving conditions, thanks to its front double wishbone suspension, rear multi-link suspension, rack and pinion power steering, and front and rear stabilizer bars. The vehicle has excellent visibility; the cabin is relatively quiet at highway cruising speeds.

While the four-door, five passenger, front-wheel-drive Accord is definitely playing catch-up these days — or, at the very least, should be trying to — if it plans to keep its hedge in the market, there is no escaping the fact that a staggering number of these cars roll out of the showroom each year.

One of them in the not too distant future will probably be driven by my traveling companion who is due for a new car. It will be a Honda Accord.

She tells the story of how when time came to replace the timing belt as part of scheduled maintenance (and she’s religious about this), her mechanic told her there was barely any perceptible wear and could have lasted probably another 10,000 to 20,000 miles. This, she said, was just another example of how Accords are “overbuilt” for the sake of reliability.

“I could drive an Accord around the world five times with only scheduled maintenance check-ups and repairs and never have to worry,” she said. “If that’s ‘boring,’ sign me up!”